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Update from UCD Quality Office |
Dear Colleagues
Welcome to my third bulletin of the 2008-09 academic session. As we reach the end of the teaching term, I would like to give all staff an information update on a range of developments that I feel should be of interest to you. I am also keen to have your feedback on this bulletin as a source of information for staff. You will find a link below to a short survey. I would encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the survey so that we can plan improvements to this communications exercise. There is no escaping the serious financial challenges being faced by Irish universities in the current national and international economic climate. My own view is that as well as addressing the urgent financial deficit, colleagues’ collective commitment to meaningful strategy and diligent planning for the future is now more important than ever. I am grateful to colleagues who have, in recent months, taken the lead and those who have engaged in local consultation and planning on issues such as how we will implement our strategic objectives for teaching and learning in the next five years and the nature of our academic programmes at both undergraduate and graduate levels. A critical, fresh look has also been taken at the enrolment profile of our programmes at graduate level: my particular thanks are extended to all those who contributed to the recent enrolment planning exercise, within College and Graduate School offices and within Schools. In particular, I would draw your attention to the approved policy on Repeats and Re-sits outlining remediation opportunities for failed assessments. Further to recommendations from both a Policy Working Group chaired by Dean of Arts, Dr Joe Brady, and a Policy Implementation Oversight Group chaired by Dr David Fitzpatrick, Head of School of Electrical, Electronic and Mechanical Engineering, the Academic Council has approved the introduction of an integrated policy on Repeats and Re-sits for students receiving failing grades, to take effect from the academic session 2009/10; changes to compensation arrangements will apply from September 2010. Further information on this will follow in my next bulletin in June. To view the policy please click here. On behalf of the Academic Council, my thanks to Joe Brady, David Fitzpatrick and the working groups for their sustained efforts in this important area. With best wishes for a successful end of semester assessment season,
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Update from UCD Quality Office During March 2009, two quality reviews were undertaken: UCD Student Services (reporting to the Vice-President for Students) and the UCD School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering. Further information on the quality reviews and details of the 2008-2010 quality review schedule is available at http://www.ucd.ie/quality/ Joan Mullan has been appointed to the post of Deputy Director of Quality. Joan joins Roy Ferguson, Director of Quality and Bronwyn Molony, also Deputy Director of Quality (returning from secondment as Interim Admissions Officer in UCD Registry). Joan graduated from UCD in Psychology and has an MA in Social and Organisational Psychology. Prior to joining UCD, Joan held the post of Institutional Research Officer at NUI Maynooth. |
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2008-09 College Teaching Awards The 2008-09 College Teaching Awards were launched in March. The awards are designed to recognise and celebrate excellence in teaching - teaching practice which is reflective, adaptable and responsive to the needs of student learners. The 2008-09 scheme, funded by the Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), will present up to three awards of €1000, accompanied by certificates of excellence, for each of the five Colleges. The awards may be used to fund attendance at conferences or other activities which support excellence in teaching. For eligibility and application criteria, please visit: http://www.ucd.ie/tl/teachingawards. The deadline for applications is 5.00pm on Tuesday, 5 May 2009. |
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Significant disparities continue in the level of take-up of higher education places among students from differing groups, despite the range of initiatives that have taken place to incentivise access to the sector. UCD has given renewed focus and impetus to this important aspect of our Education Strategy through the establishment of an integrated Access and Lifelong Learning (ALLL) Unit, and with funding support from the HEA's Strategic Innovation Fund (SIF), the appointment of Anna M Kelly as Director (anna.kelly@ucd.ie). The ALLL Unit will help create an environment in which UCD becomes the destination of choice for school leavers, regardless of socio-economic background or disability, as well as for adults wishing to begin higher education, or continue their professional development. Over the coming months, it is intended to develop a comprehensive plan for access and lifelong learning. The ALLL Unit comprises the Disability Support Service, the Adult Education Centre, New ERA, and Mature Students Service. |
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Curriculum Management deadlines This is a reminder that the deadlines for the capture of curriculum information for the 2009/10 academic year are fast approaching.
These dates are aligned with the academic governance processes run through UUPB and UGPB and are primarily set in order to enable the academic oversight and management of our modules and programmes. The secondary purpose of these dates is to enable configuration of the student system, timetabling, and summer preparations for the 09/10 academic year. By the end of May, Schools and Programmes should have finished changes to their modules and structures. Our experience has taught us that when closure of this process extends into the summer such delays typically undermine academic oversight and the preparations for the new year. Therefore, we would ask that all staff involved in the process ensure that they complete their module descriptors, that Schools and Programmes complete their structures changes, and that all relevant review and oversight processes run by Schools and Programmes take place by this time. Ongoing support and guidance for staff involved in the process is being provided by the Programme and School Liaisons team in Administrative Services. Contact details can be found at http://www.ucd.ie/registry/adminservices/psl/index.html#contacts For further information on the ICCM process please visit http://www.ucd.ie/registry/adminservices/curriculum/ICCM2009.html Revised Grade Approvals Process Following approval by Academic Council of the revised grade Approvals Process in December, full implementation of the revised process is going ahead for the Semester 2 grading session. A key benefit will be the facility to release provisional results to students at an earlier stage. Further information on the revised process can be found on the staff section of the Assessment website. Go to www.ucd.ie/registry/assessment/info_staff.htm, click on 'Grade Approvals Process' and enter your Connect login details. This site will be updated regularly with information on the revised process. If you have any queries, please contact assessment@ucd.ie There will be a general information session for staff, to include information on the revised Grade Approvals Process (GAP) and other matters in relation to support for Assessment and Grading, on Wednesday, 29 April 2009 from 12.00-1.00pm in THFS01, Agriculture and Food Science Centre. If you are interested in attending this session, please email assessment@ucd.ie Semester 2 examinations Preparations for Semester 2 examinations are well underway. The final timetable was published on 31 March, following a collaborative effort between staff in Schools, Programmes and Assessment, UCD Registry. The Semester 2 examination timetable is available at http://www.ucd.ie/registry/assessment/student_info/timetables.htm Enhancing student services within UCD Registry In March, the student services of the Fees & Grants team - counter services, emails and phones - moved to the Student Desk in Tierney, providing students with a comprehensive single point of contact for all of Registry's student services. This consolidation of our services is aimed at further improving the quality and efficiency of our student services, continuing a process that began with the introduction of the Student Desk in 2005. Online applications There has been a significant increase in online applications activity. By the end of March this year, over 3,500 applications for admission in September 2009 had been received. This is more than double the comparable figure for last year of 1,667. UCD increases first preferences by 6% CAO figures for 2009 show that UCD continues to be the destination of first choice among college applicants as UCD's first preferences rose by 431 from 7,073 in 2008 to 7,504 this year. The number of applicants for level 8 degrees nationally increased by 4.4% while the UCD first preference rate of increase was 6.1%. UCD medicine tops the league in first preference popularity. Overall, there were 3,766 extra applicants in the CAO system. 1,549 of these were mature students. Most of the increase in UCD mature student first preferences was in degrees such as midwifery, children's and general nursing and veterinary nursing. |
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